Died 4 November 1957

Burial in Blair Cemetery

Published in Pilot on 7 November 1957

SAM CHEELY, 80, SUCCUMBS

BLAIRITE 56 YEARS; LONG A BASEBALL ENTHUSIAST; EPISCOPAL SERVICES

Sam Cheely, resident of Blair the past 56 years and long a baseball enthusiast, died early Monday at Memorial Community Hospital here. Long ill, Mr. Cheely, who was 80, had been at the hospital since early this year.

The body was taken to the Bendorf Funeral Home. Services were held at 1:30 p.m. yesterday at St. Mary's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Samuel R. Elliston officiated, with burial following in Blair Cemetery. Pallbearers were longtime friends, Alfred O. Sick, Robert Clausen, Ernest A. Schmidt, B. F. Lundt, A. R. Beales and Hugh Cooke. Masonic graveside rituals were conducted. The Cheelys have resided at 269 E. Front Street for a number of years, where they operate a rooming house.

Mr. Cheely was born Mar. 19, 1877, and came to Blair from Jefferson, S.D. in 1901. He and Anna Humphries were married in 1906. Their only child, Ruth Ann Cheely Counts, who once was employed as a deputy in the county judge's office here, died in Washington, D.C. Feb. 26, 1941.

Mr. Cheely once was a plumber for the former Martin Hardware. Later he was route salesman in this area for the Watkins Co. for many years. Lately, prior to becoming ill, he served as jailer at the Washington County jail.

Surviving Mr. Cheely are his wife, Anna; a granddaughter, Ann Virginia Counts of Washington, D.C.; two sisters, Mrs. John Gardipee of the Crowell Home in Blair and Mrs. Lou Hopkins of South Sioux City, Nebr.; and 10 nieces and nephews.

Rudy and Bill Fick of Blair are brothers-in-law.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Find a Grave # 114183825